Sterlitech Corporation, a leading manufacturer and distributor of lab-scale membrane development and testing equipment is proud to announce that it is among the first global distributors to offer the Aquaporin Inside™ Forward Osmosis (FO) Membrane. Developed by Aquaporin A/S of Denmark, the new membrane is specifically designed to reduce the costs of water purification by harnessing a remarkable mechanism found in all forms of life on Earth.

“Aquaporin proteins make it possible for plants to draw water through their roots and for kidneys to filter wastes in our bloodstream,” explains Sterlitech President Mark Spatz. “By synthesizing these proteins and incorporating them into a membrane, Aquaporin A/S has created a membrane product with uniquely high selectivity and flow rates.”

Discovered in 1992 by Peter Agre, aquaporins are protein structures integrated into the cell membranes of all living organisms and are critical for controlling water concentrations. The unique structure of these proteins allows water molecules to rapidly move in and out of a cell while denying passage to ions and other solutes. Research continues into other types of integrated membrane proteins that also allow transport of small molecules such as CO2 and may form the basis of other biomimetic membrane technologies in the future.

The Aquaporin Inside™ membrane is the first membrane offered by Sterlitech that is specifically designed for forward osmosis evaluation applications. Available in 42 cm2, 190 cm2, and 400 in2 pre-cut sheets, Sterlitech also provides comprehensive supplementary equipment for use with the membranes to perform benchmark tests and application development.

Aquaporin A/S is dedicated to revolutionizing water purification and desalination of seawater through the use of industrial biotechnological techniques and thinking. The main goal of Aquaporin A/S is to develop the Aquaporin Inside™ membrane technology, for which the company won the European Inventor Award in 2014.